The Beaufort Scale of Wind Strength and what it can mean to your holiday in Greece and the Greek Islands

Sea State

#

Description

Knots

Velocity km/h

Term

Code

Wave Height Meters

Mirror

0

calm, glassy

<1

<1

Calm

0

0

Ripples

1

light airs, rippled

1-3

1-5

Calm

1

0 - 0.1

Sm wavelets

2

Light breeze, wavelets

4-6

6-11

Smooth

2

0.1 - 0.5

Lg wavelets

3

Gentle breeze

7-10

12-19

Slight

3

0.5 - 1.25

Sm breaking waves

4

Moderate breeze

11-16

20-28

Moderate

4

1.25 - 2.5

Moderate waves & foam

5

Fresh Breeze

17-21

29-38

Rough

5

2.5 - 4

Lg waves, foam, spray

6

Strong Breeze

22-27

39-49

Sea heads up streaked foam

7

Near Gale

28-33

50-61

Very Rough

6

4 - 6

Higher long waves foam in streaks

8

Gale

34-40

62-74

High waves, dense foam,impaired visibility

9

Strong Gale

41-47

75-88

High

7

6 -9

Very high tumbling waves, surface white with foam, visibility affected

10

Storm

48-55

89-102

Very High

8

9 -14

Exceptionally high waves, sea covered in foam, visibility affected

11

Violent Storm

56-62

103-117

Phenomenal

9

Over 14

Air filled with spray and foam, visibility severely impaired

12

Hurricane

>63

>118

All ferry boat departures in Greece are subject to the Beaufort scale of wind strength. The Greeks pronounce Beaufort as 'Bofor' or 'Boforia' and most of them never heard of Beaufort but they all know 'Bofor'. On land they measure by kilometers but afloat by nautical miles so confusion can arise. Anyway, if the wind goes over 8 on the Beaufort Scale an 'Apa-go-ref-ti-KO' or 'Forbidding' is issued and all boats are not allow to leave port. However some smaller boats and especially catamarans are less stable and forbidden to leave port at lower levels of Beaufort strength as well.

The British Navy's greatest hydrographer and map-maker was actually an Irishman originally from Navan Co. Meath. Born in 1774 Francis Beaufort is best remembered as the originator of the Beaufort Scale which classifies the velocity and force of winds at sea.